#CleverlyinTheKitchen: 9 amazing no-cooking recipe ideas for hot-summer days!

Hi everyone,  

Excited to share another post for series #CleverlyinTheKitchen. 

Here in Pleasanton, summer has begun officially. With increasing temperature, it is hard to stay in kitchen for longer time. I am sure just like me, you also did not like to cook lengthy or time-consuming recipes during hot-summer days.  

Also, during summer we have an automatic decrease in appetite and want to eat something light that easy to digest too. So, with this post I am trying to help out little.  

I am sharing 10 amazing and easy non-cooking recipe idea in this post. Read the post to know more! 

9 amazing non-cooking recipe ideas for hot-summer days!

Salads 

I will start this list with something so refreshing, healthy and easy to make. In India, we used to eat salads only as a side dish by chopping favorite vegetables of our choice. However, we can enjoy salads as a full and refreshing meal by making few modifications.  

Follow these steps to make salad as a meal.  

• Start with greens as a base. You can take spinach, arugula, spring green or any green of your choice.
•  Add substance. You can add any good source of protein like panner or tofu, any sprouts, beans (white bean, boiled chickpea, chana etc.) for making your salad protein rich.  
• As a next step, add any complex carbohydrate of your choice. Daliya, oats and brown rice works well as a source of complex carbohydrate. If you want to lose weight, then add less or avoid adding complex carbohydrate.  
• Now, add finely chopped veggies and fruits of your choice.  
• If you want you can add finely chopped nuts and seeds of your choice as a topping.  
• Last, add dressing. Make simple dressing by using lime juice, salt and black paper. Avoid using oil based heavy dressing for routine salad preparation.  
• Garnish with coriander leaves. 
• Your tasty and healthy salad is ready to enjoy.  

Here is a previous post, check out these to learn three easy salad recipes for weight loss.  

Cold sandwiches 

Just like salads, sandwiches are another perfect recipe for summer days. You can make cold sandwiches by using fresh vegetables and fruits of your choice. Cream cheese work as a best spread for making cold sandwiches. You can also use hummus, green chutney for making Savoury cold sandwiches and you can use nut butter for making sweet sandwiches.  

Read this post to learn some amazing cold sandwich recipes for summer days.  

Curd with fruits of your choice 

Curd has amazing body cooling properties. Eating curd during summer offer many great health benefits. If you have a sweet tooth or just want to eat something refreshing and heathy dessert during hot summer afternoon, then try making this instant dessert recipe. Take one bowl, add 1 cup chilled curd. Add finely chopped fruits of your choice. Avoid adding citrus fruits like orange and kiwi. If you want, you can add finely chopped nuts (almond, walnut etc.) and seeds (pumpkin seed) to this mixture. Next, add natural sweetener (honey or maple syrup) of your choice to curd and fruit mixture and mixed everything well. Your healthy and tasty instant dessert is ready to enjoy.  

In this recipe, you can also use Greek yogurt instead of curd. Greek yogurt is high in protein and rich in many essential nutrients.  

Parfait 

If you want to make a fancy and westernized version of curd and fruit recipe, then you can try parfait. Take a glass. Add layers of yogurt, fruits and cereal or granola one by one. Add topping of seeds, nuts and chocolate chips and serve this cold. Your tasty and healthy yogurt parfait is ready to enjoy. 

Smoothies  

Smoothies are another great non-cooking, refreshing option for summer days. They are easy to prepare, high in nutrition and you can make various varieties by using fruits and nuts of your choice.  

Here is a basic formula to make a healthy smoothie recipe.  

• ½ cup frozen banana: though you can make other smoothie recipes, by not using banana. But in general, frozen banana gives a good base to various common smoothie recipes and add a natural sweetness’ too. You can skip using other natural sweeteners, if you are using banana in your smoothie recipe.  
• Avocado is another great base option for making smoothies.  
• Add other frozen fruits of your choice ½ cup: mixed berry, Strawbery or mango taste best during hot summer days.  
• Next you can add nut butter or finely chopped nuts of your choice.  
• If you want to make a filling smoothie, you can also add 1-2 TSP rolled oats.  
• Add natural sweetener of your choice (honey, maple syrup etc.). blend everything properly. Your tasty and healthy smoothie is ready to enjoy.  

Apart from smoothies, you can also make smoothie bowls by adding granola and some toppings of your choice.  

Both these recipes are high in nutrition and can be used as a light meal during hot summer days. 

Read this post to know amazing smoothie recipes for hot summer days. 

Fruit ice-cream and fruit popsicles 

Next, you can make healthy ice-creams and popsicles by using fresh or frozen fruits. Take a cup of finely chopped fruit of your choice (Strawberry, mango etch). 1 can ( 14 OZ) condensed milk and 2 cup heavy whipped cream. Mixed all things well and add finely chopped fruits at the end. Pour the mixture in an ice-cream container and cover with a plastic wrap. Your healthy tasty fruit ice-cream will be ready in 5-6 hours.  

If you are in hurry, you can only use fruits puree of your choice and mixed with sugar or natural sweetener. Blend everything well and pour this mixture in ice-cream container or popsicle maker. Your fruit ice-cream will be ready in 5-6 hours.  

Read this post to know how to make easy Oreo ice-cream. 

 Chaat

If you are in mood to get indulge in something spicy and tangy, then “Chaats” are best options for you. Chaats are easy to make, taste good and with little pre-planning, you can have them as a light meal too. Avoid using oily and unhealthy food items like samosa for making chats.  

Here is a list of some easy to make and refreshing chaat options: 

• Bhel: take roasted Murmura (puffed rice), add sev and other namkin of your choice, next add finely chopped vegetables of your choice (tomato, cucumber. Onion), add spices (salt, red chili powder, chat masala etc.) as per your taste. If you want, you can add sweet and sour chutney (coriander chutney, tamarind chutney etc.) to enhance the taste. Add lemon juice in the end. Garnish with coriander leaves. Your tasty and healthy bhel chaat is ready to enjoy.  
• Chana chaat: this one is another healthy and tasty chat that can be prepare in few minute. Just make sure to soak chana (you can use black chana and chickpeas both in this recipe) overnight and pressure cook it for 5-6 whistle. Take a bowl add boiled chana, add mildly sweet curd, green chutney, sweet chutney (optional), finely chopped vegetables (tomato, cucumber, onion etc.) of your choice. Add spices (salt, black or red chili powder, chaat masala etc.) as per your taste. Mixed everything well. Your tasty and healthy chana chat is ready to enjoy.  
• With same method, you can prepare peanut chat. Just use soaked and boiled peanut instead of chana. Your another interesting version of healthy chat is ready to enjoy.  
• Fruit chat: when we are talking about healthy chat recipes, how can we forget well-known fruit chat recipe. Take a bowl and add finely chopped fruits of your choices. Sprinkle some lemon juice and chat masala before serving. Your healthy and tasty fruit chat is ready to enjoy.  
• Corn chaat: this one will be a good kid-friendly recipe. Use boiled corn and add finely chopped veggies of your choice. Add spices of your choice and sprinkle some lemon juice. Your healthy and tasty corn chaat is ready to enjoy.  

Read this post to know more options of healthy chat recipes. 

Masala khakhra and masala papad 

If you are from Gujrat, then I am sure you have already eaten Khakhra. Khakhra is a thin wheat crust that is made up of whole wheat flour. You can use Khakhra as a base to create another interesting non-cooking recipe for summer days.  

Take Khakhra and add finely chopped vegetables (tomato, onion, cucumber) of your choice. If you want you can also add stir-fried and finely chopped paneer pieces as a topping. Sprinkle chat masala, red chili powder and salt. Garnish with fine sev and coriander leaves. Your healthy and tasty masala khakhra is ready to enjoy.  

In this recipe, you can also use roasted papad instead of khakhra. Serve masala khakhra and masala papad instantly. Otherwise, it may become soggy.  

Veg roll (roti roll) 

Though this is not exactly a non –cooking recipe but you can make it quickly by using frozen chapati or tortilla. Use can make sweet and savory version both. Take out frozen roti or tortilla and roasted this for few minutes on skillet.  

• For make sweet version, apply nut butter or other sweet spread of your choice. Arrange finely chopped banana on it and roll it. Your nut butter banana-roti roll is ready to enjoy. 
• For making Savoury version. Use any spicy spread like hummus or green chutney. Prepare a veggie mixture by mixing finely chopped veggies of your choice (carrot, cucumber, capsicum. Cabbage etc.), add hung curd or mayo (1-2 tsp), add spices of your choice (salt, black paper etc.). mixed everything well, now fill this veggies mixture in prepare roti. Roll it properly. Your tasty and healthy veg roll is ready to enjoy.  

So, these were some cool non-cooking recipe ideas for hot-summer days. Which one you like best? Please share with me